Photos for the Munson story
The father of two Cupertino High School students, Martin Munson (right) fell around 15 feet in Saratoga Creek while walking the family dog in February. The fall left the 52-year-old paralyzed from the chest down. But a local effort helped raise $25,000 for a quadriplegic wheelchair for him.

When 16-year-old Micheal Munson of Cupertino High School came home from school one evening in February, there was no one there to greet him, just a Post-it note on the door from his mother, instructing him to call her.

His family was at the hospital. His father, Martin, fell down a creekbed while walking the family dog and broke his spine. He was left paralyzed from the chest down.

A flood of emotions washed over the teenager, whose first reaction was to not let anyone know about it.

But what Micheal said he never could have imagined was the outpouring of support to follow over the next few months from his fellow CHS students, teachers and staff and the Cupertino community as a whole.

Cupertino High students founded the project known as the M&M Project--Get Martin Rolling, and raised more than $25,000 to go toward a quadriplegic wheelchair.

"I was pretty shocked," Micheal said of the experience. "It just happened so fast. So many different people helped me out; a lot of them I didn't even know, which amazed me even more. Cupertino is an amazing place, and I wouldn't trade it for the world."

With his best friend since middle school, Ishan Sharma, by his side, Micheal put together a video and website telling the family's story and setting the goal for the wheelchair.

Over the course of two months, donations came in as more and more people--964, to be exact--shared the website on gofundme.com.

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All of the fundraising built up to a huge dinner to benefit the family held in the Cupertino High School cafeteria on May 2.

More than 300 people attended the event, which was coordinated by an array of students, clubs and local families. That event raised $8,000 on top of the online donations of $19,537.

"We also Skyped Micheal's dad at the end of the event and told him all about the whole fundraiser," Ishan said. "It was a magical moment."

Piluchi Munson said she was "touched by this amazing act" from the Cupertino High School community, and is thankful for the fundraising effort.

"My whole outlook not only on this community, but life as well has been completely altered. Everything seems to be more optimistic in a way, where I know that everyone is willing to help," she said in an email. "And I can't put it out into words, but this community has done so much for a family who is [in] dire need of support. and I want everyone to know that I am extremely grateful."

Micheal had managed to keep the entire effort a secret from his dad until the night of the big dinner. With the help of his older brother, the two were able to surprise Martin with a live Skype session from the event.

"Life at home has quickly marked a change of wind," Micheal wrote on the project's Facebook page after the event. "Distraught and despair is leaving, and hope and prosperity has entered, because of all of you guys. My dad will be receiving his wheelchair as soon as possible. He cannot wait. The old him is coming back, and it's beautiful."